Blood Forest Part 30

She walked timidly across the room, surprised when Guy waited by the door with Kitu.

Alfred started to stand, but Sam shushed him and pushed him back down into his seat.

"How are you, Sam? Is he treating you okay? Are you hurt?"

She wrapped Alfred in a slow hug, lingering about his shoulders. "I'm okay," she said quietly.

"He hasn't . . . hurt you, has he?"

"It's nothing I can't handle," she promised.

The chemist trembled under her touch. "Has he told you what he's doing here? Has he told you about the experiment?"

"No, he hasn't. What's going on?"

"Oh G.o.d, he has to be stopped, Sam. He can't be allowed to pursue this technology. His grandfather started these experiments decades ago, when this was the Belgian Congo. Then it was abandoned and left. He found it here, and he's started the experiments up again."

"What kind of experiments?"

"Insane experiments, it's what we've witnessed the whole time we were here. I should've known because of the buzzing. It's so obvious. Do you remember where you've heard that sound before? Maybe not, some people are more attuned to it than others."

Kitu shifted closer and Alfred's voice became higher pitched as he spoke faster.

"He can do this anywhere. Not just in a jungle. He could do it to a city block or a whole city. If he perfects it-if he keeps improving it like he has-do you know what we're dealing with?"

"What?"

"We're dealing with mind control here. It is sick."

"Mind control?"

"He uses the river as his sounding board. This power plant is what fuels it."

"Sam," Guy called. When she looked over, he gestured for her to come over to him.

"Just a minute," she answered back, her sweetness gone.

Alfred's voice fell to far less than a whisper. "I have a lighter I managed to keep with me. I can destroy the generator, but I'll need time. He comes in and out of here all day and most of the night. I need to be sure he'll be preoccupied."

She took a deep breath. "I have an idea how I can do that."

"Good. When I do it, it'll be loud. He'll probably come quickly. Be in a position to escape when it happens."

An idea formulated in her mind. She remembered the notes that Guy said he kept in his bedroom. She'd have to eliminate those, too.

"Enough, Sam," Guy ordered. When she didn't respond, he nodded to Kitu.

The Mbuti warrior nodded and crossed the room.

"One more thing-Temba's in the forest. I think he's in trouble."

"Temba?"

As Kitu grabbed Sam by the shoulders, he paused at the mention of the Mbuti name. He glanced back and forth between Sam and Alfred curiously.

"Tonight," she whispered. Her mind searched for some way they could both tell time without watches or clocks. "After the rain stops, give me half an hour."

Alfred nodded.

She stepped away and let Kitu pull her back to Guy. She saw the suspicious look in her captor's eyes, and without thinking she wrapped him in a hug. He stood shocked for several seconds, before his palm came up to touch her back.

"Merci beaucoup, Guy," she whispered. Still using French, she added: "I needed that."

27.

A shaft of light hit Ike's eyes and they fluttered open. The tent flap hung open where Delani's head peeked in.

"Sorry, mate, must have dozed."

Ike started moving, wondering how long he'd been out, when Nessa's head rolled off his shoulder. She sagged to the tent floor, her neck limp. Ike caught the motion and the meaning of it froze him in place. All the events of the previous night came back, every last detail.

They had fallen asleep together. But only Ike had awakened.

Delani noticed the way Nessa's body slumped as well. Instead of scolding Ike for falling asleep on his watch, he said nothing and ducked out of the tent.

Ike crawled over Nessa, her body already cool to the touch, and gently rolled her head back so she lay in what looked like a comfortable position. She had died asleep and, as a result, looked far more peaceful than many of the corpses he had encountered. He pressed his face against hers, feeling her cold, clammy cheek.

Only then did he remember the ring. In a panic, he dug his hands into the blankets, searching frantically until his fingers closed around it. He looked at Nessa, still and lifeless, then down at the sparkling ring and slipped it into his pocket.

Brandon bit into his stale granola bar and yanked it back and forth until the stubborn thing broke apart. He ground the remaining chunks between his teeth. He had found the bar in Sam's pack and decided it would make a good breakfast.

Raoul stood nearby, jiggling a small flask, a sour expression on his face. When he saw Brandon watching him, he said something in French and shook his head. Brandon could only smile helplessly.

Delani hurried over suddenly. He kicked Gilles awake and turned to address the three of them. "We need to get moving. Daylight's burning."

"Is Dr. Singer going to be able to walk okay?" Brandon asked.

Delani hesitated. "Dr. Singer is dead."

The words. .h.i.t Brandon hard. He saw a similar look on Gilles' face as the Congolese mercenary rose to his haunches.

"We're leaving this forest right away," Delani went on. "With Singer dead and Tabibu gone, we have no business here anymore."

Gilles let out a relieved sigh and rose to his feet. He and Delani began rolling up their belongings.

Meanwhile, Brandon felt the ground slipping out from under him. They were just going to leave? "Wait a second," he said, addressing Delani.

The South African stood up, coming eye-to-eye with him.

"What about Sam?"

Delani stooped to retrieve his pack from the ground. He slung the heavy thing over his shoulder.

"I'll pay you," he said quickly. "You don't have business here, right? Well, I'll pay you. How much does it cost to hire you?"

"No amount of money will convince me to stay here."

Brandon looked to Gilles for support, but the mercenary only avoided his gaze. Raoul watched nearby, but the Frenchman couldn't offer any help.

Ike emerged from the tent. He straightened his clothes and rubbed his hands over his face, before shouldering the a.s.sault rifle and joining them. Brandon did not miss his sunken expression.

"We ready to head out?" Ike asked.

"Almost."

"Good," he replied. "I might need some help with the tent."

"Gilles and I will get it," Delani a.s.sured him.

The two Africans strode past him. Gilles clapped a hand over Ike's shoulder. His visage remained stern.

Brandon collected his belongings-his and Sam's. Raoul came over to help, humming a quiet tune as he worked. Ike moved to the perimeter of the camp and stared in the direction of the river.

Once his things were secure, Brandon went to stand behind the Australian. "Delani wants to leave right away."

"That sounds like a smart idea to me," Ike replied without turning.

"Sam and Alfred could still be out there."

Ike strode through the undergrowth suddenly. Brandon followed.

Ike crouched when he reached the river. At first his eyes looked across the stream, scanning the jungle for militia soldiers. They fell to the wavering water, becoming lost in the sun's reflection, much as Sam had done so many days before.

Brandon inhaled sharply at the thought of his wife and opened his mouth to speak. The Australian's hand slipped into his pocket and produced a sparkling item.

"Where'd you get that?"

"She gave it to me," Ike said defensively. "I didn't steal it."

"I didn't mean . . ." he trailed. He studied the mercenary's distant gaze for a moment. "Did you love her?"

Ike looked over, surprised by the question. His eyes went right through Brandon then fell again to the ring, which he rolled in his palm. "I don't know," he said quietly. "That's really hard to say right now. It sure as h.e.l.l feels like I did, but that's just . . ."

"Then say you did," Brandon told him. "And don't ever forget it."

After a moment, Ike gave a small nod. They sat in silence, listening to the trickle of the stream. He wanted to give Ike a few minutes. The Australian had been through a lot. But Brandon's patience was slipping.

"Sam and Alfred are still out there. You guys can't just give up now," he finally said. "I'd be willing to pay you to stay."

"We can't do that now," Ike replied. "We're outnumbered. There's no way we can fight all of them." He stood up and turned from the river. "Look. You think she's alive out there, right? And Temba's with her?"

Brandon nodded.

"Then you got to trust in the fact that they're gonna find their way back to the village. Where else would they go?"

"I don't know."

"The best we can do is to meet them there. It beats searching around in this jungle and getting ourselves lost too, doesn't it?"

He shrugged. Ike had a point. Alfred, Temba and Sam wouldn't pointlessly scour the forest looking for Brandon and the mercenaries. They would make their way back to Raoul's village.

"C'mon. Don't give up yet," Ike said walking back to camp.

Delani, Gilles, and Raoul had collected their belongings. The tent and bedrolls rested in one corner of the encampment and, not far away, Nessa's body rested wrapped in a bedroll.

The first thing Ike said when he entered the clearing was, "I'm not leaving her behind."

"I thought so," Delani replied. "We're leaving the tent and all of the bedrolls. The American is going to leave his wife's pack behind if he wants to come with us. Or he can carry it himself, but we're not waiting up for him. You can carry the body."

"Fair enough."

Brandon didn't respond. He was beginning to see how things would proceed. To Delani, their contract had expired. Raoul and Brandon could tag along, but only if they didn't slow the mercenary company down. Brandon studied the Frenchman, wishing they could communicate. He seemed to be the only ally he had left.

"What's the plan?" Ike asked.

"We make full speed for the village," Delani replied.

"And then?"

"Then we have a Jeep."

Ike paused then spun around, gazing at the canopy. "You know this river's gonna lead them straight to the village, right?"

Delani nodded. "But we'll have the Jeeps."

"Let me see if I get this straight. We head straight for the village with these soldiers right on our tails. And while they're ma.s.sacring and raping, gunning down that bloke Marcel and all of Temba and Kuntolo's little friends, we'll slip off into the night scot-free. Is that right?"

Delani let out a deep sigh and crossed his arms.

"You know, I'm not okay with that," Ike replied coolly. "We made a promise to poor Temba we'd keep his village a secret and here we are leading them straight to Marcel's front door."